A Royal Capture
by Phoenix of Starlight
Summary: Story number 11 in the 'A Royal-' series. It is the biggest challenge yet! With the Varia under attack by the Spiaggia family and all of their weapons stolen away, it seems all is lost. In such a hopeless situation, will they pull through? Or will love prove to, after all these years, be their true weakness? Shounen-ai: B26, 1869/6918, XS, 10051, some 8059. Some violence.
1. Taken

**A Royal Capture**

**Chapter One**

**A/N:** Hello everyone, Phoenix here! Welcome to story number _ELEVEN_ of the 'A Royal-' series! This _may_ or _may_ _not_ be the last fic - I don't know, it depends on plot, as well as how fast said plot moves along~ Reviews will be greatly appreciated, as this is the school year~!

Before I begin, here's a list of all the fics in order: **A Royal Meeting, A Royal Winter, A Royal Spring, A Royal Summer, A Royal Fall, A Royal End, A Royal Encore, A Royal Return, A Royal Blackmail, A Royal Child.** Now, let us begin, A Royal Capture!

* * *

_Something didn't feel right._

Maybe it was the way the smell of death so thickly permeated the air on that fateful night. Maybe it was the fact that Hibari and Mukuro were contentedly leaning against each other, laughing lightly. Maybe it was Squalo's gruff silence, or Xanxus's sober attitude. The Varia were quiet - all knew something was wrong, but none had the courage to attempt placing it. As indicated by Varia quality, they knew things were off, but they wouldn't dare speak of it until they knew just what was wrong. When a thick, intoxicating smell was suddenly blasted at them from above, however, the entire group ran forward, soon huddled up in a group together. "... Levi's not here," Xanxus muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and pretty much killing the mood with the awkwardness of his voice in the situation. "And I haven't seen a single grunt."

"Dead," Belphegor breathed. "I can smell it. So much blood... shishishi..."

"Senpai," Fran whispered with a slight edge, placing a hand on his husband's back to calm him. Fran then gazed back at where the strange gas had come from, before turning to Luss. "We should get out of here, shouldn't we?"

Lussuria bit his lip. "And what do you think is waiting out there, Frannie? A tea party? We're clearly under attack."

"I can handle this," Mukuro said. "I'll just head out while hiding my presence..."

"No. We go together," Xanxus answered, glaring at the illusionist. "I may have put up with you two at your wedding, but in the end, I'm the boss here."

"Nobody's my boss," Hibari muttered, though he was ignored. The Varia moved back outside, smartly avoiding other traps as they went. When they finally stood outside, they could sense the enemies surrounding them.

**"VROOI!** Show yourselves, you damn COWARDS!" Squalo screamed, stepping out in front and slicing through the air with his sword. They were met with silence.

"... Ushishishishi~ The prince loves hide-and-seek," Bel said with a twisted grin, before throwing knives in all directions, plus one at Fran. Aside from Fran's grunt of discomfort, they were again met by nothing.

"... Trash," Xanxus said then. "It's too late for that."

"Huh? Who are you and what have you done with Xanxus?" Mammon spoke up. "He'd never be all... giving up like that!"

"... That took you long enough." The Varia tensed as their boss seemed to vanish, leaving what seemed to be the funeral wreath Torikabuto in his wake. The Varia had no time to protest before they were each seized by an enemy, their weapons lifted and their arms bound roughly behind their backs.

**"VOOI!** WHERE THE HELL IS XANXUS?!" Squalo screamed, rage in his eyes as he fought against Torikabuto.

"You will never see him again, foolish one," the other male said darkly, and Squalo paused for just a moment, eyes hard.

"My Xanxus would never be overtaken by you lot... you... you damn freaks!" He fought more, before pausing, looking ahead. "B-b-boss...?" Kikyo, the former right-hand of the Millefiore, stood there, holding a broken, bloody body by bindings. The bound male was gagged so he couldn't speak, blindfolded so he couldn't see, and seemed to have earplugs in as well. The only sound coming from the body was ragged, irritated breathing.

_It was Xanxus._

"He was with us the whole time, from when we got off the jet! That's impossible!" Lussuria shrieked, kicking at his captor, only to be seized by Daisy instead. Matched with another Sun and all on his own, he stood little chance of overpowering the other.

"We snatched him as you were getting off and Torikabuto snuck right in there," Kikyo sneered. "Once we got his weapons and rings off of him, he didn't put up much fight. Now, you lot better make your way inside nicely. He's powerless right now, which means if I hold a knife to his throat and press in deep... he will die."

Squalo looked down, breathing slowly. "... I'll go without a fight," he rasped. The Reborn Funeral Wreaths had hit him where it hurt most.

From the very back of the group, Byakuran suddenly fought his way up front, using his flame wings to do so. "K-Kikyo... you traitor!" he shouted. "You filthy, conniving traitor! How could you do this to the very people who let you live, huh?! How?!"

Kikyo glanced warily at Byakuran, then smiled again. "If you'll recall, you had several chances to join us, Byakuran. Take them all in!"

"Yessir!"

The voice of Kikyo's underlings seemed to come from every direction, and even for the strong, strategic Varia, it sounded like a death sentence. Bel and Fran fought hard against their bindings to no avail, and within minutes, they had been dragged out of each other's sight, not knowing that they wouldn't see each other again for a full year.

* * *

_Day one._

_In a room filled with deafening silence._

Squalo sat on his knees, his hands bound roughly with rope, behind his back. His silver hair had been, for the first time, shaved cleanly off. Without his ring, and with his box weapon taken from him, he was utterly hopeless. A nasty bruise had swelled over his left eye, partly blurring out his vision, and a punch to the jaw had split his lip a bit and, needless to say, left him very sore.

He didn't speak much after he'd been taken. After Xanxus had been shown to him, his body bloody and broken. It might be said the shark was still in shock. He loathed the Spiaggia with every cell in his body, but the more hours he spent in there, the more he felt maddened by the quiet. Noises of the past - glasses breaking, voices screaming and laughing like adult children, and the drunken whispers of the one he loved most - noises of a happier land haunted his every second. They rang in his ears, slowly tormenting him. The murmurs of his boss seemed like a distant dream, even an impossibility. But still, Squalo longed for them.

"Xan...," he started to whisper, after being locked away for fifteen hours, "...xus..."

_A hopeless prayer._

* * *

_Day one._

_In a room with a single light._

Green eyes were starting to feel blind now. He'd been staring at a bright moniter for three hours - and would soon realize that it would last a lot longer. The screen was fuzzy, perhaps just cheap, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that it showed Byakuran... HIS Byakuran, curled up on the floor, nothing but a pair of handcuffs holding him back.

It was amazing to watch, and sickening at the same time. A beautiful, powerful man, with indescribable strength, brought to his knees by a past teammate. Shouichi teared up and immediately started crying after the thought crossed his mind. Was this all his fault? If he'd betrayed Byakuran, would this ever have happened? The world may have been crushed, but...

_'But I'd be able to be with him right now. I'd never have to see him weak... Byakuran would be powerful, strong... the king of the world, and... I could be his lover still...'_

Shouichi sniffed as he remembered the love confession Byakuran had given him, those sweet lines. About not liking men, about not liking women, but liking the red-haired mechanic alone.

"I d-d-don't care if it's just us...," the redhead breathed with a small cough, bringing his chained hands close to his sore stomach. "As long as I have you... I would be happy..." With a weak smile, he continued to watch the moniter, feeling his mind slip away bit by bit.

_A futile bargain._

* * *

_Day one._

_In a room with no soul._

Sitting alone, the illusionist glanced to his finger. The imprint of his tight marriage ring was still there, but it'd fade soon. Damn those Spiaggia or whatever. They would all pay for this... for what they were doing. Mukuro stood and walked to a column in the center of the room. Closing his eyes, he slowly wrapped his arms around it, resting his cheek against the cool stone.

"Just like embracing Kyouya," he mused to himself. "Cold, lifeless, and yet unspeakably pleasing... kufu..."

A small, soft whimper escaped the illusionist then, and he closed his eyes. "I'll always be here, Kyouya... always beside you," he whispered to himself. "I just can't believe... only days before our wedding, I made you cry." He pulled away, then moved to a corner of the room, eyes widening as he saw a moniter showing his lover. "Kyouya... oh, Kyouya... what have they done to you?" He could see the ex-prefect there, tied down like a wild horse, thrusting back against the ropes he was suspended from, struggling to reach the ground below him even though wild cats were trying to leap up and tear his body down from the ropes. "Kyouya... you fool...," Mukuro whispered. "I can't tell if you're trying to get yourself out, or get mutilated. I love you..."

_A vain promise._

* * *

_Day one._

_In a room with no laughter._

Everything was falling apart, it seemed. Lussuria was curled up on the ground, unable to move at all because of the tight bindings encasing his entire body - rope, rope, more rope, and... chains. He couldn't even twitch enough to shift around weakly. Looking at the far side of the room, he saw Levi in a similar condition, and he scowled. He wanted to yell, beat the Lightning guardian senseless for everything. For being too weak to so much as warn them of this crisis of a situation. The mustached male had spent his whole Varia career claiming he did everything he could to protect Xanxus, and yet... and _yet...!_

Lussuria stopped himself. Admittedly, it wasn't Levi's fault he was such a loser. Maybe they'd misjudged him a bit. He didn't choose to be the weirdo he was, right?

_Toot~_

Lussuria scowled darkly.

**OH NO HE DID NOT.**

* * *

_Day one._

_In a room with no love._

Fran lay on his back, staring up at the empty ceiling above him, ignoring the cuffs around each of his wrists. "... I hate this," he muttered to the wall. "Senpai..." He closed his eyes and huffed out a frustrated breath, before sitting up, soon glaring at the cuffs around his ankles, as well. He couldn't conduct any illusionary energy in this place, and he knew wherever they kept his master, or Mammon, they were probably under the same curse. Fran wasn't too easily annoyed, but this was making him livid.

_Livid._

"ushishishi..."

"Senpai? Senpai?" Fran called the second he heard the noise, soon spotting the tape recorder on the far side of the room. It was an empty, repeating mock of his lover's voice, and in his anger, Fran set out to destroy it, not knowing there was a camera nearby, watching him.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

Well, my wonderful reviewers, here is chapter one of number eleven in the 'A Royal-' series! *blows kisses* I hope you're all up for a helluva lot of fun!

**REVIEW FOR PLOT!**


	2. Insanity's Birthplace

**A Royal Capture**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

_Day Twenty._

_In a room filled with deafening silence._

Xanxus was a bloody heap of broken bones. Regularly throughout the week, some new underling would be brought and ordered to give the humiliated male a few new bruises. He didn't give a damn anymore, though. He'd tried channeling his flames into the ground, into the walls, anywhere he could wriggle his hands to, he'd try to burn. But the walls were a tough metal - one that conducted heat, but didn't melt easy. The result was the mature male simply hurting himself.

There was only one way out - or at least, one way to give the Spiaggia a pleasing power-outage. If he directed flames at the monitor that smiled at him from the far corner of the room, such a thing might be possible. But he couldn't. Not because the moniter was fixed on his love - no, not at all! it was because in all truth, he couldn't get there. The boss of the Varia had been stolen of his crown. As of now, he was a feeble, weak man. The muscle that clung to him so perfectly only weeks before now hung pathetically off him, almost like paper. His face was hollow, so pale that the only scars that could be seen were the fresh wounds. Bruises, scrapes... nothing of his past.

_"Vooooi."_

It almost sounded like he'd croaked as a frog might. But this was no Fran impersonation, this was simply a gentle 'voi,' Xanxus's way of keeping Squalo in his heart when all he had was a moniter to refer to. Looking back up at the computer screen, Xanxus furrowed his brows. The shark did _not _look good.

Xanxus slowly began to scowl deeper as something strange happened - a break in the monotonous routine the Spiaggia had put them into. A man with red hair and a thin beard - Zakuro, as Xanxus recalled - walked out towards Squalo and offered him a glass of water. "Oi, idjit. Drink this. I went out of my way to get it for you, so you better be damn happy," came the sound of the voice through the moniter.

"... Thank you..." Squalo's obnoxious voice had been reduced to a mere whimper. He took the glass with shaky hands, then, in a sudden burst of strength, smashed it against his forehead, glass breaking and water spilling over his inch-long silvery hair.

"The hell?!" Zakuro snapped, before reaching down, grabbing the collar of the shark's shirt and pulling him up. "What do you think you're doing, idjit?!"

"It doesn't feel the same," Squalo whispered, "but I can deal with it... heh."

Zakuro frowned darkly. "Look, idjit, your boss is dead. You're never going to see him again."

The Rain nodded, and the Storm continued, "If you move on and pledge allegiance to us, you could have a much better life."

The shark was silent for a few moments, before he finally gave his answer. "I'd rather be killed."

"Your words, not mine," Zakuro muttered, "But we'll give you more thinking time." He smirked then, and leaned in close to the shark. "So you just sit pretty, all right, idjit?" He then let the shark sink back down to his knees.

Xanxus's chapped lips tugged into a small frown. So this was it? Lock him and Squalo up, then beat him senseless while getting some other trash to try and seduce his lover?

"Damn shark trash... be strong," Xanxus muttered gruffly, slumping against another metal wall, before clenching his teeth and forcing out a pulse of flame energy, groaning as his now sensitive skin was burned once again.

* * *

_Day twenty._

_In a room with no soul._

Hibari hissed as he continued to fight, strong even after twenty days deprived of food, water, and any sort of sanity (see, sanity just didn't exist here). The lions and jaguars below seemed to have grown weary of trying to claw him down from up there. From his place suspended from the ceiling...

_Damn it was annoying._

"Oi," Hibari called. "Half-blind tiger." The tiger he'd addressed gave him a wary glance, the grotesque scar over its right eye more prominent than ever as it did so. "Want a snack?" he asked in his tired voice, hanging limply in the rope. When his only response was the tiger resting its head back on its paws and grunting, he grew angry again and began to thrash against his bindings twice as vigorously as before.

"Everyone... _bark_," came a tiny voice from the door as a skinny young boy stepped through, wearing only black slacks, and bearing greenish-black, straight hair. Startled, Hibari glanced up, frowning as he saw him with a bag full of rancid meat. "You've been in here so long, bark. I'm surprised you haven't gotten to him yet, my slaves... _bark_." He set down the bag before the group of large cats, before giving a hard growl. "You worthless slaves do not deserve this food, _bark!_" As the cats started towards the bag, the boy released his box weapon, showing a dark-furred wolf that immediately lashed out towards a lion, biting it. The response was immediate - the hungry cats all ran to the far side of the room, ears flat and tails lashing around in fear.

"Juniper, enough!" came a new voice - this one more familiar. "We w-want the beasts to attack, not _be_ attacked..."

"Daisy... bark," Juniper whispered, glaring back at the pine-haired male, before leaving. "Come, Precious, _bark_." The box weapon followed the boy out of the room, and the remaining male turned up to look at Hibari, before moving to a wall and pressing along a side of it.

The square of tile slid out then - clearly a secret platform. Stepping on to the tile stair, Daisy glanced up at the ravenette. One by one, more panels revealed themselves, making a spiral staircase around the room that led up to where Hibari was bound. The reborn Funeral Wreath made his way slowly up to the prefect, his stuffed animal rabbit clutched to his chest as always. As he stepped up right beside the roped Cloud guardian, the pine-haired male said gently, "Are you in pain?"

Hibari sent the other a hard glare, eyes blazing with broken pride and bitterness. As he let his head hang limply again, he rasped, "I hate you... all... of you..." Daisy shrugged, then moved forward. With Hibari's elbows and knees bearing the most rope, the pine-haired male took a hold on each of the thick bindings, before stepping forward, resting a foot against the Cloud's lower back. "Gh...," Hibari grunted in pain as weight was pressed on to him, then bit his lip hard to stop himself from crying out in pain as Daisy's other foot landed against his shoulder blades. With the other standing on him, his rope-burned skin began to bleed - as did his lip once he bit through it entirely.

"How about now?" Daisy whispered, but Hibari held out, squeezing his eyes shut and struggling to keep his bloody body strong enough to stay unbroken. Then, suddenly, Daisy stepped against the back of his head. "Useless. It's like you're on the receiving end this time. Just like whenever you're with Rokudo." Hibari's eyes snapped open wide, but still he remained silent, letting himself be beaten down. He couldn't fight back - if he did, his weak elbows would break. He had to be careful. Play it safe this time.

And then Daisy did the unspeakable. He leaned down close, kicked Hibari's back a little, then whispered, "I bet it turns you on, you masochistic pig."

Hibari's bleeding lips sunk into an angry frown, and then, he took the chance to thrash, knocking Daisy off of his balance. To his chagrin, the other male simply stepped off onto the platforms again, soon starting to head down the staircase, and what was worse...

_Snap!_

"Agh-!" Hibari cried out as his left elbow snapped painfully, tortured by the ropes. He closed his eyes again, breathing a little heavier than normal as pain radiated strongly through his body. He wouldn't cry, but...

"M-Mukuro...," he rasped, his cheeks flushing now as he tried to pretend it was a cruel game his lover and him were playing. "I'm okay, Mukuro. I can take more."

And in another room, where the camera on Hibari fed over to the illusionist he loved, a small, strained chuckle could be heard. "I hear you, Kyouya. And I believe in you... even if you can't see or hear me, my soul is watching over you."

* * *

_Day Twenty._

_In a room with no light._

Byakuran had given up trying to explore his room. His hands cuffed behind his back, he sat still and waited, letting the voices of his otherworldly selves cut into him.

"Worthless."

"Should have listened to us."

"You're done for. You will die here."

He didn't care that he had started to cry regularly. He didn't care that his body was filthy now - as his room had no tile floor or wooden planks. It was all dirt.

And within that, Byakuran was starting to feel like dirt himself. All of the voices, telling him how useless he was. Not having anyone real to speak to. Being so alone, in his own private hell. If he'd been insane before, then sanity was the worst thing he'd ever experienced. What had he done in life? Tried to kill a benevolent teenager, tried to destroy a world that he hated just for the bad things within it. Maybe Choice was an accomplishment. That could be a fun game for others, if it didn't involve real lives being taken.

No... he was useless, just like his fellows told him.

"But that's okay," he whispered, tasting dirt on his lip. "Because I have my little strawberry shortcake..." He coughed then, eyes stinging with tears and nose running as he struggled to relax again. Even in his condition, he managed a feeble smile, rocking a little on his thighs and curling his wings around him. He began to remember what it was like, the last time he held his lover. They had slept in each other's arms on the jet ride home - had softly cuddled with each other, felt along each other's spines... one giggled whenever the other gave an involuntary shiver. He remembered slim fingers playing with his hair, curling the white strands and letting them spring loose. He remembered the prod of a marshmallow at his lips, and how he would take a nibble off of the treat before licking it, enjoying every blush and light cuff his lover would give him. He remembered the feel of glasses resting against his cheek as he tried them on, how the world looked so different through Shouichi's lenses. He remembered a caress on his shoulder, a touch around his waist, a smile, a laugh. He remembered love.

But the love was still there; Byakuran was certain of that.

_Creeeaaak..._

The Sky snapped to attention as for the first time in weeks, the door opened, revealing none other than the man that had brought on this mess: Kikyo. "Why are you in here?" Byakuran coughed, eyes stinging as dust billowed up into them.

"To tell you something," Kikyo said, moving forward and kneeling before Byakuran. "Irie Shouichi is dead. After all the torture, one of the underlings got carried away and sliced his head clean off of his body. I wanted to be the one to deliver the news."

Byakuran closed his eyes. He didn't want to believe it, but he would. What other information did he have? Absolutely none...

With light spilling into the room now, the Sky looked down at his bare legs and shivered as he saw the dirt and blood caked along them. Tugging at his shorts to keep himself at least a little warmer, he whispered, "What are you truly here for, Kikyo?"

The teal-haired male knelt down, and slid forward until he was holding the albino's face in his hands. "Lord Byakuran, you can be free again. All you have to do is join us. Join ME, Lord Byakuran. We can be together aga-"

Byakuran moved with more strength and furiosity than he had since he'd joined the Varia, summoning all of his energy to rock back and kick out with both of his legs - not unlike a kangaroo, actually. Kikyo grunted as the hard double-kick nailed him in the chest, sending him on to his back and radiating in pain throughout his body. Byakuran took the immediate chance to slide up to his feet and make for the open door, using his wings to push him forward, even with his wrists chained. "Shouichi!" he called out weakly, voice cracking as he came out upon a clean hall way, tracking dirt into it. Ignoring Kikyo's shouts behind him, he ran down the hall, glancing up and seeing several moniters, fixed on each of the Varia, all of them in separate rooms. "They're all alive...," he whispered, before his eyes rested on one moniter, showing a dark room with a moniter inside of it. Shouichi's pale face could be seen from the light reflecting off of it, and it tripled Byakuran's resolve. "I'll save you, Shou-chan. You're alive and you're mine," he whispered, starting to run again, before skidding to a stop, seeing none other than Andrew Spark standing in the center of the hall.

"Hello again, Byakuran," Spark snickered.

"You!" Byakuran gasped. "This whole time... and we thought you were just some stupid, mischievous child!"

"I'm fourteen. No, perhaps twelve. Maybe sixteen," Andrew said, stepping towards Byakuran, before holding up a box weapon. "Remember this? The box weapon you guys gave me? It's pretty useless, huh? A little salamander... let me show you what my real box weapon is." He held up his hand, and the five rings adorning his fingers all lit up, showing that only one of them bore Lightning flames, while most of his flame energy was Sky. Holding up a pure black box weapon, he punched flames into it and held it towards Byakuran. The cuffed male ducked down as flames shot past his head, soon trying to run past the boy, before stopping and crying out in pain as something bit down on his ankle and yanked him back. Looking behind him, his eyes opened wide. To his utmost shock, it was an upgraded version of his White Dragon that had attacked him, bearing a black body and dark, emerald eyes. As the dragon lifted him by the leg and slammed him into a nearby wall, he choked out in pain, already weakened from being held in his dank, dirty room.

"You're so useless... you could've had everything, and yet you chose to become a Varia and embrace that diseased notion they call love. You're lucky I don't turn you straight into Vindice."

"No...," Byakuran hissed, earning a grin from the boy.

"Does Vindicere truly scare you?"

"Not that...," Byakuran growled, before whimpering as he was slammed against the wall again. "I mean to say that... gh... I wouldn't have anything if I took over the world. My path... gave me everything. It gave me... Shouichi..."

Andrew was silent for a few moments, trying to read the albino's expression, before glancing over as Kikyo ran towards the two of them. "Lord Andrew, sir. I'll take him back to his room immediately, so it's okay to release him..."

"Don't let him get out again, Kikyo. Mistakes like this will get you killed," Spark replied darkly. The teal-haired male nodded, the black dragon dropped Byakuran, Andrew stalked away, and it wasn't long before Byakuran was back in his cell again, a stronger man.

* * *

_Day twenty._

_In a room with no love._

Bel was a giggling, insane mess. His own blood splattered the walls, the royal blood... royal lineage wasted... And the worst part was... he didn't mind all that. The cuts along his arms and back, inflicted by unworthy peasants, didn't matter.

_Why?_

_Because the prince had froggy TV~ of course!_

"Ushishishishi! Froggy's so pretty! Such a pretty princess!" Bel snickered, kicking his legs against the floor as he lay on his stomach, watching the moniter with blood-shot red eyes. "Ushishishishi... _ushishishishishishishi!"_ Leaning forward and licking a few droplets of smeared blood off of the screen, Bel's grin couldn't get any wider.

It had been seventeen days since he'd been blessed with this opportunity. The first three days, he'd managed to find knives in his boxers and slaughtered his so-called opponents, not at all happy about the separation from Fran. But on the forth day (wouldn't you know, his lucky number!) they installed this wonderful thing in the side of his room! Now he had a one-way view of Fran, could see the illusionist's every move.

It was _awesome!_ Even though Fran was sulky, nobody was coming in and hurting him. Bel could watch his lover explore all around the room in his kinky handcuffs, and a funny part of it was that the Spiaggia had given Fran some little recording device that played back the prince's 'ushishi' and 'Oh Froggy~' phrases. Bel kind of hoped it would get his lover in the mood, but instead it just seemed to bum him out more. So while he let some Spiaggite cut his shoulder, he asked softly, "Please tell your boss to bring Froggy some company. Not to hurt him - ushishishi, my heart keeps thudding, it's so weird~! - but to comfort him. He's lonely without his prince."

"Y-yessir."

The boy who came in to 'torture' him was softspoken and polite. Bel happily mused whether the boy was scared of him, but almost never dwelled on the other's actions. After all, he was a very loyal prince, not one to muse the doings of peasants. "Go do that now, Soro."

The brown-haired male paused, glancing up with pale blue eyes, before nodding slowly. "I'll leave you, then." He slipped out of the room quickly, the yellow Spiaggia ring on his finger glinting at Bel before it was taken from his sight.

The prince smiled, and after waiting for a few moments, saw the door to Fran's cell open up, revealing the teal-haired girl, Bluebell. "Ushishi, that's interesting," he mused. "She and Froggy could become friends, I guess. Uke buddies."

"Hey there, baby, you lonely?" she called, sitting down in front of Fran.

"Break it," Fran rasped, his voice so croaked and tiny Bel almost couldn't recognize it. But nonetheless, hearing his lover's voice again sent endorphins coursing through the prince's spilled blood.

"Hmm?"

"Break it!" Fran said again, looking up at Bluebell. "Break that stupid machine with Bel's voice on it. I'm sick and tired of it."

Bel's lips curved into a frown at this, but the worst hadn't happened yet. After the girl moved to the machine and obliterated it, she headed back to Fran and once more sat down - this time, beside him. "Are you all right?"

Slowly, Fran moved, leaning against her. "I'm cold... I'm hungry... I'm sleepy. No, I'm not all right, Rainwater-head."

She snickered at this. "With an attitude like that, I can't bring you anything, you know. Why don't you ask nicely?"

Fran sighed heavily and glanced up. "Please. Food and water... and a blanket. At least that."

"Sure thing," she answered, leaning in and swifty kissing Fran's cheek, before leaving the room again.

Bel's jaw hit the floor.

Before he curled up on the ground and let out a blood-curdling scream.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

SO! Nobody's happy. Not even me! Oh, that's a lie; I'm having fun. SO MUCH FUN.

Hope everyone's enjoying these long, beefy posts! Please leave me some nice reviews! ;p

**REVIEW FOR DRAMA!**


	3. Crumbling Piece by Tiny Piece

**A Royal Capture**

**Chapter Three**

* * *

_Day Forty_

_In a room with deafening silence._

Well... perhaps it wasn't as silent any more. The gentle roar of chatter between Squalo and Zakuro could be heard now, as the shark felt he had nothing better to do. Zakuro would call him stupid a lot, but even as he did so, he set the shark at peace with his situation. He brought food. Brought water. Even brought up a bucket of water once and gave the shark a rough spongebath - didn't intrude or make him uncomfortable, either. The gruff, curse-filled way the red-haired male spoke was familiar... reminded Squalo of his other lover. What was his name again?

"Zakuro? I forgot again," Squalo grunted, resting his head against his knees. "What was _his_ name?"

"Xanxus," Zakuro muttered, face against his palms. "Idjit, let 'im go. You're close. With 'im dead, why don't ya? You're a pretty guy, you know..."

Squalo blushed a little and folded his arms. "Stop it. I'm not gonna forget about... about Xanxus. And who say's I'm forgetting? I just like... hearing his name, on your voice. You... sound like him."

"Psh, don't get squishy on me, idjit," Zakuro sneered, "you're supposed to be like... strong and crap. Show me you can be, idjit. I enjoy watching you resist me."

Squalo grinned. "If I didn't know better... I'd say you were flirting with me, Zakuro," he snickered.

"Believe me, I am," Zakuro said, slipping closer and tucking a short strand of silver hair past Squalo's ear. "I am, Superbi Squalo."

With a tiny, real smile, Squalo glanced down and nodded. "Give it some more time, Zakuro... and I think I can... kind of deal with that..." He reached out then, arms weak and shaking as he wrapped them around Zakuro's shoulder's briefly and patted the red-haired male on the back. "Thanks for... being here," he whispered. Zakuro pulled away, a thin smile on his face as he nodded and headed away.

Squalo curled his knees close, resting his head against them one more.

"Voi... Xanxus... don't be mad... I'm so alone in here, I just... want some damn company," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes soon after. As he slipped into dreams filled with the morphing faces of two people whose company enjoyed, he found himself growing anxious and scared.

* * *

_Day Forty._

_In a room with no soul._

_Mukuro smiled as he finished the piece, leaning in and softly blowing on the canvas to let it dry. Backing up, he held out the paintbrush. Was the head in proportion to the rest of the body? An oversized head would make his subject look childish, after all._

_"Mukuro."_

_"Yes ma'am?" the boy murmured, looking up towards his adoptive mother, his blue eyes filled with innocence and purity._

_"Mukuro, something has happened... there's no more money, Mukuro... we need to resort to something desperate... oh, baby, I'm so sorry... oh, my little baby..." She moved forward, sweeping the boy up and holding him close to her chest, her tears soon rolling down his laughing, ignorant cheeks._

_"I painted you, ma'am, look!" Mukuro giggled, pointing to his canvas, before pausing as another male walked in._

_"Ma'am. It's time. The room is all ready; give us the boy."_

_"I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing a tiny kiss to Mukuro's head, before turning, passing him into the arms of a strange man._

_"Mother?" Mukuro called, that babyish smile still on his face and his eyes big as he turned towards the new man. "... Mom?"_

_"Now, let's make haste. These experiments... they will bring us back from bankruptcy..."_

_Mukuro's wide, wet eyes turned back towards his mother again and he reached out with thin, pink fingers. "Mommy...?"_

_Suddenly, he was in a dark room, strapped down into a seat. The babble of the people around him no longer a friendly buzz, but conspiring whispers that made his head ache. A piercing light was shone into his right eye, and then..._

_"Aaaaaahhhhhh!"_

_It all turned red..._

Mukuro was jostled awake, his hand covering his right eye and tears rolling down his cheeks as the nightmare finally woke him. With a frown and an irritated grunt, he wiped at his eyes, before looking up at the moniter depicting his lover. "Did you know I would've been a painter if not for those men, Hibari Kyouya?" he breathed. "I would've grown up to be a pansy like Vongola Decimo. A stupid Mafiosi." He grunted, then breathed, "I've been through the six paths of Hell. And I don't regret a single path, because... they brought me to my one and only love."

"Oh_, Rokudo~!"_ came that sickeningly familiar voice as a boy with long, blond hair revealed himself at the far side of the room. "Time for our little playdate."

"Kei, right?" Mukuro muttered, his gentle mood immediately hardening as he put up his figurative walls.

"_Awwh_, you remembered my name. _Yessir_, it's Kei~" The other male giggled, fluffing the red boa around his shoulders, before taking out a box weapon. "My little Sei has been lonely. So while he redecorates the room, I'm going to get over there and have a looksee inside your brain." He let the box weapon out, and a Mist-class magpie began flying around the room, creating waterfalls, strong wind, earthquakes, quicksand... just about any random landscape imaginable, but with their power, Kei and Mukuro both avoided the illusions, standing together in the shifting room, untouched.

Kei walked up close to Mukuro and sat down before him, a soft, pondering look in his eyes as he gazed at the illusionist, before suddenly leaving his body.

The soul battle launched just like that - Mukuro had to defend his body from Kei trying to posess it. He had the upper hand since he was already inside the vessel, but Kei, for a boy his age, was frustratingly strong. Not a care in the world and yet he knew just how to weasel his way in, the little bastard.

As Kei slowly took control, Mukuro's defense weakened, until he surrendered entirely, and let Kei browse his memories like a bookworm in a library. The Mist of the Spiaggia selectively pulled forth one of his past fifteen years ago - showing the time he escaped Vindice with Ken and Chikusa, but ordered them on so he could bait the Vindice and get them into the real world. "Pretty weak, huh..." The foreign thoughts invaded Mukuro's mind and he winced, displeased as always with the sound. "You sure like making sacrifices. If you would give that up you could destroy the Mafia like you always wanted... but you're too emotionally fragile for that privilage."

"Get out," Mukuro muttered through clenched teeth. "Get the hell out of my body."

_"Ohoohoo~!_ So feisty, Rokudo," Kei sneered, leaving as told, but stealing the private glimpses at Mukuro's thoughts regardless. "But then again, who wouldn't be after living your life? You've spent more time in chains and water than anyone else I know! _Hoohoo~!_" With a small giggle, the illusionist suddenly moved forward, his hand flashing out and cuffing Mukuro hard across the face, before he dashed away again, vanishing into the walls of the room with no doors.

Mukuro reached up, rubbing his sore cheek, but didn't give a squeak in protest. His lover was in worse condition, barely hanging on, being force-fed water and stale bread. A meal fit for an ant, but certainly not Hibari Kyoya. He was barely alive and yet full of energy, still wriggling in rope bindings despite all of his arm and leg bones being broken. The large cats had been removed, one by one as they all fell ill from hunger. Now the only danger below was the drop. Daisy came in regularly to tell the ex-prefect how much of a weak, masochistic disgrace he was. Mukuro had to watch his lover slowly unravel. It was like watching a lake evaporate - the changes were so subtle. How the Cloud didn't bother to fight back against annoying words anymore, the tiny nod Kyoya gave when asked if he thought his lover was disappointed in him.

If only the illusionist could see him, just once... to reassure him... that would save them. But unfortunately... it simply wasn't possible. Daisy's thirst for revenge on Hibari killing him was strong - he wanted to break the ex-prefect's mind to pay him back.

* * *

_Day Forty._

_In a room with no laughter._

Mammon's heavy through-the-nose sigh ripped through the silence again, his mouth covered by electric tape and his adorable, chubby little cheeks giving him the appearance of a dropped apple - as they were bruised so hard. His eyes, visible due to his hat being taken away, were bloodshot, marked with dark circles, and his indigo hair stretched down to his chest. Looking up at Lussuria, he gave the Sun guardian a pained stare, and the other male tearfully returned it. The three Varia were all chained to the walls, all of them an equal distance from each other.

They'd even given up snickering at Levi now, as it was starting to seem like the only hair that ever grew on Levi was his mustache, his beard, and anything below his neck. At this point, he didn't look unlike a gorilla. It was funny at first, but given the bleak situation, it couldn't remain amusing for long.

With a short sigh, Lussuria flopped on to his side and stared up at the ceiling, imagining Bel and Fran's happy little faces on it. How the two looked so positively perfect together.

His stomach growled then, louder than sound of breathing, and Levi seemed to snort. Lussuria simply sent him a '_shut up, you keep stinking up the room_' glare to keep him quiet.

_Clink... clink..._

Mammon's chains jingled as he shuffled towards Lussuria, stopping about a quarter of the way there. With a bow of his head, he tucked his small knees close again, before looking towards the door to the room as a couple sounds echoed through it. Torikabuto soon had opened the door, and with a dark chuckle, the masked male growled, "All of your friends have been killed. It is time, foolish ones. You are now permitted to speak. In twenty more days, we will decide your fate." He moved to Lussuria and took the electric tape off of his mouth, soon moving to the other Varia to do the same.

Lussuria choked out a few gasps once the tape was gone, turning to wipe off his sticky chin on his shoulder. "Ugh... you disgusting villains will never take us!" he shouted, eyes blazing angrily. "We're a family like no other!"

"Foolish one...," Torikabuto snarled, giving Luss a warning glare, before walking out.

"... Luss...," came Mammon's voice, a weak croak. "Luss, we need to get out of here..."

"I know...," Lussuria replied, flinching as the door to their prison was slammed shut again. "But there's not much we can do."

"If you idiots would just listen to me every so often, you'd already be free," Levi spoke up suddenly, glaring at Lussuria. "But because you're both worthless, I have no reason to help you."

Lussuria closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then summoned his emotional strength. "You damn monster, you always act like you love Xanxus, but really all you want is power! We're supposed to be one big happy family, and you're the only thing getting in the way of that! Don't pretend like you have the power you want so badly, because none of us are buying it! You're just a weak, heavily insecure, unshaven brute, and you have no right to even be a Varia!"

Levi stopped at this and looked down, a couple of tears soon starting to make their way down his cheeks. It was true. And he hated it. He hated the other Varia. If he was an outcast before, then now, with Xanxus gone... He was better off dead.

"Luss," Mammon spoke up again. "I wish I could've told you sooner - I'm bound by one of Verde's anti-illusion inventions. I won't be able to do a thing in our favor."

"It's okay, sweetie, I figured," Lussuria sighed. "If only I could eat something. I'm so _hungry,_ darling..."

"I have something moldy in my pocket," Levi muttered.

"I could care less!" the Sun huffed in response.

* * *

_Day Forty._

_In a room with a single light._

The sobbing had become a regular thing for the emotionally fragile mechanic, as had the screaming. No one came to torture him, but every day, a water bottle and some stale bread was brought in and placed beside him - the only sense of regularity he got. The incidents in which he would watch Byakuran deal with Kikyo were much more sporadic, and they were driving him mad. Kikyo would come in, flirt with his lover, try to tempt him, and every time Byakuran would refuse him, so Kikyo would grow angry and beat him until the Sky would quietly beg for mercy.

"Just give in," Shouichi croaked, eyes wet with tears. "Just forget about me, y-you idiot! You're supposed to be the s-s-strongest man I know! Where is he? Why are you so d-devoted to me?" He whimpered, curling up, ignoring the filth of the room he was stuck in. He was sick from the conditions, but he didn't care. If anything, he wanted to be dead. Byakuran deserved better than him! Someone who was just stuck in a room... helpless... unable to do anything but wallow in his misery...

Taking off his smudged glasses, Shouichi angrily threw them across the room, flinching as he heard them shatter. Curling up into a tight little ball, he rocked himself, staring at the blurry moniter still, only seeing a white dot that represented Byakuran. A precious, little, white dot.

It was tearing him apart.

All that power... _wasted._

* * *

_Day Forty._

_In a room with no love._

_Ah... so lonely..._

Fran gave a tiny smile as finally - _finally _- the door was opened again. It had been at least five hours, and he couldn't help but be lone... er... _hungry_ again. As Bluebell walked in and set down a plate of sushi in his lap, Fran gave her a blank look. "Welcome back, sea-head."

Bluebell snickered, sitting down next to the illusionist and wrapping an arm around his waist. "How are you, _froggy?_" she asked, using the nickname Fran had all but handed her.

"Don't, that's weird," Fran muttered, leaning against her a little as he started to eat. "How are things going with Zakuro? Is he still being a turd?"

"Pfft, he's always a turd!" Bluebell giggled. "But it's getting better. Apparently he and your fish-face friend are getting along."

"Really? That's odd. Better warn him it may be a ruse. Fish-face is so obsessed with Xanxus... like... crazily obsessed," Fran sighed. "I mean, you don't see me flipping out just because Bel's not around. I can live without him - I did for most of my life." He then leaned forward, glancing into Bluebell's eyes. "And for most of my life, I was straight. If senpai couldn't treat me like we were gonna be captured (and held hostage and he wouldn't see me again) every day, does he really deserve all the attention I give him? I tell you, as fun as he is to be around, I get no respect around him. I'm sick of being a kid to everyone, especially my own lover. I mean... I kind of expected him to really make up for it soon... but... he's just not in the mood to work for me."

"Neither am I," Bluebell laughed, "but I wouldn't completely treat you like some kid. I mean... you're cute, and super cheeky. But you're still an adult."

"Thanks, sea-head," Fran mumbled through full cheeks, before swallowing the sushi and peering at Bluebell again. "You're sweet, y'know. Lot like me. But if you think you can get me in bed-"

"I don't need that," she replied. "It's okay if that's what you want, but I prefer your company. It's nice. You're a helluva lot smarter than the guys I usually hang around."

Fran glanced away just in time to stop his blush, then took another bite of sushi. "Don't be stupid."

**-End Chapter**

* * *

:D Okay everyone, I've been sick this past week, but thanks to those _wonderful_ reviews you're givin' me, I pushed myself to upload on time again! Hope you're all very pleased~!

**Review for more shounen-tension!**


	4. Small Light

**A Royal Capture**

**Chapter Four**

* * *

_Day Sixty_

_In a room filled with deafening silence._

Xanxus had grown quite taken with the concept of watching Squalo cheat on him. Strange as it may have sounded, it was kind of a fun thing to observe. Squalo wouldn't give Zakuro anything that Xanxus alone had been privilaged with - for example, his hushed, almost shy way of expressing his precious, secret emotions, or his wide grin and blush combo that he'd only play when something really nice had been done for him. No, the way Squalo acted, he didn't really give a damn about Zakuro at all.

At first, Xanxus had been, admittedly, a bit suspicious. But when Zakuro left, Squalo took it upon himself to say, "Xanxus, born October tenth a few over forty years ago. I remember every detail, boss, and I don't think you're dead. You might be pathetically wounded, but like hell a guy like you would really be brought down that easy. Heh... I bet you're in a room like this one... thinking about how great it'll be when we get out of here. Love ya... boss."

"I love you too...," Xanxus had muttered on instinct when the shark closed the passage, shaking his head in annoyance when he remembered they weren't physically together.

Remembering his trust in Squalo, Xanxus now found the Rain guardian's interactions with Zakuro to be amusing. His lover was cleverly manipulating the Storm guardian. If things progressed like they were now, Squalo had a chance of saving them both. It would be perfect - Squalo would not only break the heart of a Spiaggia and pay them the hell back, but he'd perform the undoubtably sexy act of rescuing Xanxus for what he thought would be the first time. What a smart trash his shark was. What a devilishly intelligent trash!

With a sigh, Xanxus leaned back against a wall, watching as the shark asked Zakuro what it was like in their family, how they treated each other. It seemed like they were dedicated to the idea of being united by hate. They attacked each other, sometimes even killed each other.

_How annoying,_ Xanxus thought. _We've been caught by a bunch of animals._

"Oh, Xanxus...," came the voice of a girl. "Ready for today's whipping?" The girl that stepped in was tall, with long black hair covering her eyes and tan skin. Her name was Eve.

"Screw you. I have better things to do than lie around," Xanxus grunted.

"Yeah. Like be punished for your many _mistakes!"_ she laughed in return. "Weak fool~!"

Looking back at the moniter, Xanxus held his smile. _Don't worry,_ shark trash._ I believe in you. Your boss knows you're very capable._

* * *

_Day Sixty._

_In a room with no soul._

It had happened three days earlier. The last few strings on the old ropes had suddenly snapped, and Hibari's body fell to the ground, his jaw shattering as well as his ribs as he all but flattened against the cement. His only reaction was a weak grunt of annoyance and pain, but after that he kept his jaws firmly closed, not wanting to hurt himself further. His spine was the only thing still in tact, and he wanted to keep it that way. His wrists still burning and broken from the rope, the prefect twitched his fingers, then very slowly and carefully shifted on to his side, his back, and then into a sitting position from which he firmly spat his own blood on to the floor so that he could breathe raggedly.

Three days later found him lying on his side, his body radiating in pain and one of his teeth lying on the floor a fair distance away, too weak to have suffered the last beating. Whatever, he didn't need it anyway...

It was on that evening that the door opened again, but instead of Daisy stepping in, it was the tiger missing an eye that stalked into the room, looking terribly hungry. "Finish him off, Halfeye... _bark_. Daisy refuses to dirty his hands with the final blow, _bark_," came the voice of the strange child who seemed to have control over the large cats.

The tiger simply gave an exhausted growl, its head bowed as it slowly walked inside. As it glanced over at Hibari and smelled blood, however, it began to trot towards him excitedly. Hibari's unenthusiastic response was simply him glancing over, but as their eyes met, the tiger stopped, sat down, then bowed its head again. Ignoring the sharp pain of moving, Hibari lifted his hand, and waited for the tiger to shuffle closer before he put the hand on its head and softly petted it. "Small animals... are precious...," he rasped. "But I could get used to you, too. I can make your life better... you simply must promise to obey me. Not that stupid dog-obsessed boy who does not recognize the significance of other animals. Do you understand?"

The tiger's only response to that was weakly licking Hibari's hand, and with broken bones, it was more unwelcome than not. With annoyance, Hibari shooed the animal away, soon grumbling, "Lay down and rest, a couple feet away if you could." It didn't listen, laying down right at the ex-prefect's feet and sweeping its tail around annoyingly, much to the man's chagrin. "F...fine, be that way. But if they get upset with you, don't listen, all right?" Hibari muttered. "I won't have my body fed to a tiger, thank you. That's not nearly a tough enough death for me."

"Mrrr."

"Mrr yourself," Hibari snorted, before watching the door, eyes narrowing soon after. He could sense Daisy was nearby, but he seemed to just be passing the hallways. With a sigh, Hibari looked back at the tiger, then growled, "If you attack me, Halfeye... you'll become my next meal."

* * *

_Day Sixty._

_In a room with no light._

"All right, Lord Byakuran. I'm giving you one more chance," came that annoyingly deep voice yet again.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not joining. And don't call me Lord. I don't want that. I'm no 'lord.' I am Byakuran, excess Sky of the Varia, friend of Lussuria and proud lover of Irie Shouichi. I'm not just scum. I'm a _Vongola_. Albino trash, they usually call me...," Byakuran answered, grinning widely as he glanced back up at Kikyo.

"So after two months... you're still fixated on that worthless notion," Kikyo growled, moving towards Byakuran. The white-haired male quickly looked down and smiled devilishly when he saw that Kikyo had the weapon he needed. A long, wooden club in his right hand... Yes. Byakuran _needed_ it.

"Mm hm! But I believe you mean worth_y_, not worth_less_~," Byakuran answered, before carefully standing up. Suddenly, he called forth his wings and ran forward on weak legs. Kikyo's eyes widened, the Cloud thinking Byakuran was going to fight back, and he dropped the bat in his hand, instinctively ran, closed the door and locked it behind him.

Exactly as wanted.

With a happy laugh, Byakuran picked up the large, wooden bat and swung it around a little. It was about the size of a broomstick, with enough metal in its core to smash a skull - namely his own. It was rough edged, too, bound to dish out some real annoying splinters. But despite that, it was perfect. Byakuran had anticipated that Kikyo would bring this weapon on this day (as he'd kept track of the schedule, and pretending to have had a burst of strength was just enough to scare the Cloud off).

Byakuran knew his room, you see, as he'd spent enough time there to explore every inch of wall and dirt floor. But now... now he had means to use this knowledge. A sword with which to slice apart the darkness and break free from misery...

"One and two and three, four, five and six and seven, eight," Byakuran whispered, before starting to dance, twirling and twisting with the bat and enjoying every second of it. His happy snickers filled the lifeless room with breath and childish glee as he leapt around in a silly fashion, eyes twinkling. "In the dark we dance, dance, 'till the moonlight chants, chants. When I see your face, face, it makes me feel embraced, 'braced. One and two and three, four, let's go knock on boss's door, five and six and seven, eight, it's only you I never hate." The rhythm came naturally from his memory, as did the lines he'd once used to help teach Shouichi how to tango. Such a memory would seem useless to these cold men who held them captive, but it was great for Byakuran's morale, and though he didn't know it... it was great for Shouichi's, too.

There were countless clouds of thought that were there to support him, memories of Shouichi to keep him sane. So while he was trapped in this room filled with filth, he would make the most of it, remember the fun, and keep his strength up in the only ways he could.

But as much delight as it brought the Sky, it wasn't welcome when his hip suddenly cramped up. With a groan, he skidded to a stop and leaned against the bat, before giggling, "I'm so old~ Thirty two, thirty three...? What day is it? Hmmm... I'll have to ask Shouichi when we get out of here, I guess!"

"Shouichi's dead," came a voice from the door. Andrew Spark was walking in. "To scare Kikyo with those stupid wings of yours. How irksome," he growled. "Just a useless party trick. Give me that bat, you bastard. What the hell are you even doing?"

"Shou-chan's alive," Byakuran replied with a sneer. "Probably more alive than ever~! He's never gone through things this tough before, it's good for him, I think. My little strawberry shortcake can handle it, anyhow - he's the toughest raspberry the world's ever seen~"

"Oh yeah?" Spark growled, grabbing the bat from Byakuran and swinging it around, sending the weakened male into the ground by hitting him across the chest. Ignoring the soft wheeze Byakuran gave from the rising dust, the boy hissed, "You're right. He's not dead. But the way he is now, he'd be better off that way. He's gone mad. He's too mentally weak, so he's breaking down. You just wait. The next time you see him... he'll just be a bloody mess in a straight jacket. In response to your insolence, I'll have him be tortured further, and yet forced to stay alive. Keep in mind you brought it upon him." That said, Spark started to walk away, but Byakuran didn't let him get far.

"Hey, shorty," he whispered. "You too much of a coward to take it out on me?"

"I beg your pardon?" Andrew said from the door, the damage to his pride showing on his face.

"Coward. You're... nothing but a coward," Byakuran repeated. "The way you joined us to gather information. The way you've only won through deceit. You can't take on a Varia in a real battle, and this is just proof."

"Really," Andrew said, turning to glare at Byakuran. "You're starting to get very annoying. I hated you for a long time, but now you're is just bothersome. If you need me to prove my power, too bad. I don't need to prove it to you, nor anyone. You being in here is good enough for me."

"If you let me recover and then faced me in a real battle, wouldn't that prove to your family that you're not to be messed with?" Byakuran tried again as the younger male once more started to leave.

"They already know that going against me means their death, no matter who they are," he growled. "However... I believe I am ready to kill you. I'll give it another month or so you may... recover. But you won't last long, healthy or otherwise."

"Bring it on, brat."

* * *

_Day Sixty._

_In a room with no love._

"Please... let me out...," Bel pleaded, weakly holding his place in the doorframe even as Soro tried to close the door.

"I can't! Bel, I'll be back later, okay? So just shush and let me go see the famiglia," he whispered, eyes large. "I gotta go, man! If you keep holding me up I'll be in trouble..."

"Froggy needs me, peasant, he _neeeeds_ me!" Bel whined, leaning forward until his chin was against Soro's ear. "You wouldn't separate the prince and his princess like this, right...? Pretty please..."

"Look, how about... how about later, I sneak you some ice cream, okay? And we'll talk about Fran then. Okay? Just let me go for now!" Soro whispered, starting to panic. "You just gotta-"

"Soro? Is everything all right?" called a voice from outside the hallway. "Are you... talking with that stupid prisoner?" It was Kei, back from Mukuro's room. "Heh. He's really suffering, huh?" Kei said, observing the prince's face.

Bel's hair was matted and stained dark red, his cheeks were sticky with his own blood and his bangs were swept messily around his face, revealing his tear-filled red eyes. His lips were pulled in a frown so low his teeth could be seen, pink as well from blood, and vivid when juxtaposed against the prince's deathly pale skin.

"I'll get at him later, Kei, so butt out," Soro said, refusing to meet the eyes of either male.

"Wait, before you close that door," Kei purred, taking his beanie and playing with it as he met Bel's gaze head-on. "Let me just let the 'prince' know that his lover is the only one whose lover has actually _kissed _one of us willingly! You fell in love with an _easy_ boy, eh? Bet that stings like we couldn't believe!"

"Lay off, Kei, this is my business," Soro snapped, before glancing back at Bel. "Get inside," he said, trying to be firm. Bel gave him once last look, gave Kei a glare, then sulkingly shuffled back inside. The prince dragged his feet all the way back to the torn-up sofa, soon slumping down on it with a sigh and looking at the monitor.

"Froggy... don't give me up...," he rasped. "I'm sorry I've been a bad lover but... but please don't let this ruin us... Don't let the Spiaggia take you away, Froggy!" he whimpered. Hugging a pillow to his chest and rocking manically, a deep frown on his lips. "If you're gonna leave... then leave on our terms, not theirs. Prince the Ripper needs his little frog..."

_"Sea-head, you're back," Fran said, on the screen. "What's the news?"_

_"Well, Zakuro's being a huge butt so I decided to come eat my dinner with you," she answered, sitting beside Fran. "Daisy cooked up some good lasagna tonight. Not like him to do such extravagant dishes... he must be happy about something."_

_"Heh. Maybe skylark-san said something silly," Fran agreed, accepting the plate he was handed and resting beside her. "And you should just tell Zakuro to choke on his tobacco. ... I made a rhyme."_

_"Indeed you did," she giggled, before falling quiet again._

Belphegor's eyes watered and he took a knife that had been stabbed into the carpet, soon using it to break the monitor. He didn't want to see anymore - didn't want to hear anymore. His precious lover was leaving him now... and it was all his fault.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Dude guys, I swear, Soro's a freaking baby when it all comes down," Kei laughed from the table, his legs up on the wood as he held his plate at his chest. "I mean, he's torturing the guy, sure, but I see it all over his face. He's going soft! We oughta get rid of him!"

"Soro's never been particularly strong-minded, perhaps you're right," Kikyo agreed. "We could stick him in the room with that prince he fancies so much and see how things go down then! What do you say to that, Soro?"

"I'm not going soft," the brunette murmured from the other end of the table. "But don't you guys think it's a little much? Why don't we just off those Varia?"

"Don't question my methods, Soro," snapped Spark. "The Varia are constantly finding ways to pull through. What we're doing is meant to throw them off. Eventually, they'll be so mad at each other that they'll do the dirty work for us. After a year apart, we'll shove them back together and see how they act. Although..."

"Huh?"

"You may want to be prepared for a slight change in plans. Since you are indeed softening up, let's flip this around. With a little more work, Bluebell can break Fran's heart. And then, when he's already weak... we'll switch the cameras around and you can have the honor of seducing your little prince charming."

Soro blanched. "Sir, I-"

"I _said_. _Don't_ question my methods, Soro," Spark hissed. "I'll see you in the mechanic's office later to develop this plan further. In the meantime, let's simply eat. And... Kikyo."

"Yes, sir?"

"Bring a plate to Byakuran. He'll be needing his strength soon."

**-End Chapter**

* * *

XD Ahhh, such slow development.

Sorry for missing last week's post everyone! It wasn't my sickness... actually, my wonderful little cat was put to sleep that Saturday morning, and I'd thought we still had time with her. I was kind of startled into a writing slump, you know? So, rest in peace, Versailles, and the rest of you...

_Review for action, drama, and lasagna~!_


	5. A Glow of Past and Future

**A Royal Capture**

**Chapter Five**

* * *

_It was a cold, windy night at the orphanage. All of the other children were wrapped up in blankets in front of the fire, but since he wanted nothing to do with them, Andrew stayed in the corner, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and shorts. He stared endlessly at the little hole in the wall, where a mouse would sometimes peek its head out - although, it would never be allowed inside. He made sure of that. And not just that, but he kept all animal intruders out of his home - mosquitos, raccoons, and the like. He kept the place dust-free, guarded his home at night, and made sure none of the children ever got hurt. He was the strongest, the most responsible, the most independant of all of them. But no one who ever came to adopt ever showed any interest in him._

_They would talk to him... pretend to be interested, but afterwards, they could be heard in another room, telling the director of Andrew's lack of emotion and robotic personality. No one liked him, and he didn't like them either._

_In fact, he hated them all._

_Humans were just a bunch of worthless, corruptable beasts. If they would just disappear altogether, everything would be better..._

_And then, on that day, that cold day, his prayers seemed to be answered. A man with bright white hair, alongside another man with long teal hair, walked into the orphanage. Their eyes were bright with future plans, their faces sleek and young, their bodies lean and able. They were filled with a power only Andrew could sense, a mystic, almost godly aura that made his heart race and his eyes brighten. They were his chance at a better life._

_"'Scuze us! We need a place to stay for the night, all the hotels are booked," said the white-haired male to the director, adjusting his low-cut purple shirt and snickering softly. "Sorry if we're rude or anything, but... I don't suppose using your couch would be too much trouble?"_

_"That would be all right," the taller male murmured, combing a hand back through his hair and whispering, "But sorry if any of the children bother you tonight..."_

_"Fufu! That'd be fun!" he giggled, before looking back at his companion. "Right, Kikyo? You like kids?"_

_"Oho? Certainly, Lord Byakuran," Kikyo answered, smiling._

_"Okay, then wonderful," the director said, before moving to the room with all the children and saying, "Everyone... let's let our guests have their space. Go on up to your rooms."_

_"Okay!" they agreed, standing and leaving. Forgotten, Andrew stayed back, curling up in the corner and blending in, watching as the director followed the other kids upstairs. Once they were gone, the two males began to talk softly to each other._

_"It's pretty good luck. While we're here, we can rest up a bit... and then we can go to the assylum to pick up our Sun guardian."_

_"Indeed," Kikyo agreed, sitting down in the smaller, uncomfortable seat and leaning back. "You shall soon have everything you desire, Lord Byakuran. The world will be in our hands to do as we like. A new universe can finally be born."_

_"A new universe?!" Andrew gasped, not thinking. As the attention of both males snapped to him, he blushed crimson and hid his face against the wall. "I- I'm sorry... I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I..."_

_"Hohh, cute! Look at this little guy!" Byakuran laughed, walking over to Andrew and picking him up by his underarms, soon resting him against his own chest. "You overheard our little plans for our next book, huh?"_

_"Book...?" Andrew murmured, eyebrows furrowing._

_"Yeah. We're writing a book! Kikyo's my editor, so we sometimes roleplay the main characters, you know?" Byakuran giggled, moving back to the couch and sitting down so that Andrew was in his lap. With wide, amber eyes, the boy rested his cheek against the older male's collarbone, biting his lip._

_"It seemed really real," he whispered, letting a strand of white hair tickle his forehead. He bit his lip and cuddled a little closer towards the other man, a bit subconsciously. This was the first visitor to ever have the same bright hair as his own, and somehow, he already felt like family. "I don't like people," Andrew murmured. "If someone created a new universe... I would like it. If someone got rid of this world... got rid of even me... I wouldn't mind."_

_"Hmm~? You sound like a smart kid, kid," Byakuran giggled, bouncing Andrew a little in his lap. "You wanna come with us?"_

_"My Lord...," Kikyo chuckled softly from the couch, shaking his head as if it was a silly idea._

_"Yeah!" Andrew said, sitting up and meeting the other male's eyes with his amber gaze. "Y-yes, please! I wanna make a new world with you!"_

_"Now, I told you, that's just a book," Byakuran said, smiling._

_"I don't think so," the boy replied, staring at the older male persistently. "I think you mean it, and I wanna be a part of-"_

_Suddenly, the albino's amethyst eyes turned hard, stony cold, and he growled, "It's just a book."_

_Andrew felt his entire mind feeling like it had been invaded and neutralized, and the joy in his eyes died immediately. He whimpered and backed down, now knowing that he wasn't meant to feel that joy. For the first time in his life, he'd felt excitement, but just as quick as it had started, it was destroyed. He felt the man pick him up and place him down on the ground again, his eyes still indifferent._

_"Kikyo, let's go somewhere else. I don't want to have any more to do with this brat," Byakuran grunted, standing. "Let's find a hotel, where there won't be any stupid kids prying into our lives."_

_"Indeed, sir," Kikyo agreed, starting to follow Byakuran to the door. "Let us depart."_

_As they stopped in the door, Kikyo turned to glance at the boy. "Keep dreaming kid. You've got somethin' about you. A _spark_ of sorts."_

_Just like that, they were gone, and Andrew looked down._

_"Spark..."_

* * *

_Day Eighty._

_In a room filled with light chatter._

"Well, thanks...," Squalo mumbled from his place on the seat. Zakuro had brought it in a while ago, saying that Squalo better be damn thankful for it. The rain guardian agreed to sit beside Zakuro, but was reluctant at first. "But I don't agree with you."

"Oh yeah? Well you're opinion doesn't matter, idjit. You're hot, no questions asked."

Squalo snickered, then glanced at the camera he'd discovered a while back, grinning before he grabbed Zakuro's chin in his hand. "Then why don't you make me an honest man, you ass?"

Zakuro arched an eyebrow, then grinned, before leaning forward, sealing Squalo's mouth with his own.

If Xanxus was a clumsy kisser, then Zakuro had never kissed a guy before in his whole, pathetic life. The entire instance was a learning experience for the shark. He learned, for example, that the taste of alchohol was a lot more fun than the taste of cigarettes. Zakuro's lips were chapped, cold, rough, and he wasn't a fan of mouthwash. Even though his eyes were shut and his nose was crinkled, Squalo could tell that Zakuro was amused by the entire situation. He could feel the stubble against his chin, and the ragged breath coming from Zakuro's nose. It was almost like he had to stop himself from laughing against Squalo's lips.

Unable to take it anymore, Squalo pulled back and coughed away the residue of the other male, soon muttering, "You kiss like a freakin' teenager."

"Ha, well I'd not done it before," Zakuro snorted. "Kissing's freakin' weird."

Squalo looked away, frowning. These damn Spiaggia just didn't get it. "... Hey, Zakuro?"

"Hm?"

"Can I see that guy's grave? The one I loved?" Squalo asked.

"... Ugh, y'know what? Lemme give you a secret... he's not dead," Zakuro muttered gruffly. "But you'd rather spend time with me, right? Rather than a shriveled up old fool?"

"... Yeah... 'course...," Squalo muttered. "I'd take you any day."

The words made him want to throw up.

"... Why don't I... bring him in? Let you tell the loser off?" Zakuro suggested, eyes glinting with sadistic glee.

"That... sounds like a crapload of fun," the shark lied, glancing up to Zakuro with a fake smile. "Let's do it, idjit." He winked, before leaning forward and pecking Zakuro's cheek.

"Hellyeah, let's," the other purred, standing and starting to leave. "Be back in a few!"

Squalo shivered as he left, soon hanging his head. What was he getting himself into?

When the red-haired male came back, he had chains in his hand. Xanxus was dragged in with him, the older male lying on his back and refusing to move. He seemed to be... asleep. Forcing back a smile, Squalo automatically saw the image of their boss surrounded by battle and explosions and shouting, fast asleep, dreaming of steak-fish and wine. It was hard not to coo out the phrase, _'You crazy boss of mine.'_

"Sorry, I tried to get the little turd to wake up, but... I'm sure you know how it goes. Perhaps you can do a better job," Zakuro muttered.

"Yeah, I know how," Squalo said, moving to the body and picking it up, before laying it against the couch. With a soft sigh, he reached forward, and used his thumb to draw open the other male's jaws, before suddenly pinching either side of his lips and pulling his cheeks as far apart as he could. The result was a duck-like sound followed by an annoyed grunt, and at last finished with Xanxus opening his eyes and glaring at Squalo, ignoring the funny face as he muttered out a grumpy 'I was dreaming.' Suppressing his smile still, Squalo growled, "You damn bastard of a boss, Zakuro brought you here so I could tell you how I really feel. I hate y-"

"Damn shark trash...," the boss interrupted, "I don't give a shit. It's _your_ fault we're here, anyway. Not noticing my absence... If you really want someone else, then take _them_. It's your loss, not mine." Xanxus gave Squalo a tired glare, but in it flickered a spark of knowing.

Permission was given for Squalo to infiltrate further into the Spiaggia family.

* * *

_Day Eighty._

_In a room with a single light._

When the tears came, he was angry, and when he yelled, it was of sorrow. Shouchi was all mixed up, frustrated, and now, continuously searching for a way out of the room he was trapped in. He found only one door, and though it was locked firecely, he tried to get through, bashing into it and trying like hell to at least damage it, but succeeding only in bruising himself. Taking notice of his defiance, people no longer came to gave him food or drink, and being alone was the worst torture. As he continued to try desperately break out of his prison, he continued to bring himself more pain, but physical bruises were much more welcomed than mental and emotional distress.

_"Shou-chan."_

The voice he heard was sudden, a savior to him. "You have a video feed showing me in my room, right? You saw everything that happened, right, Shou-chan?" Running to the monitor and staring at it in awe, Shouichi almost melted as Byakuran's blurry face stared right back at him. "I was talking to mister Pooh-bah Spark, and I convinced him to hook up an audio feed for me. Y'know, I'm almost all healthy and ready to fight again, Shou-chan, look!" He turned around and spread his wings, flapping them a couple times. "I'm going to win against Spark, Shou-chan. And then we'll see who runs the show, ne?" He winked, gave his classic villainous smile, then whispered, "I love you."

"Lo- love you t-t-," the mechanic hiccupped, still shocked, when Byakuran put a finger over his own lips.

"Shh. It's our little secret," he whispered. Heart hammering in his chest, Shouichi found himself wanting to squeal like a little teenaged girl. Byakuran was pulling through this - the man before him was once again _his _Byakuran, a powerful, supreme ruler of others! His power was returning? He was going to fight Spark?

Somehow, Shouichi began to wonder if the two of them were actually going to be main plot devices in this arc.

... Nah, couldn't be.

* * *

_Day Eighty._

_In a room with no soul._

Mukuro was mentally and physically exhausted. He hadn't been so tired since Byakuran had stripped him of power those few years ago. Kei had done the same - but instead of all at once, Kei had picked away his energy piece by piece, made him a hollow shell of an illusionist with no chances of escape now. But despite his poor state, he felt satisfied, because he knew that Hibari wasn't doing half as bad as he was.

Adapt or die, Hibari would sometimes say, and even in this bleak situation, Hibari was starting to adapt. He, alongside that tiger, had started to pull through, taking advantage of any random subordinates that came into the room in the most brutal of ways.

Hibari didn't eat - he wasn't satisfied with the small pickings. Instead, he had the tiger take any of their kills, and by now - twenty days after he'd first taken the tiger on as a partner of sorts - the beast was stronger than he had been before - strong enough to take down Hibari himself if it so desired, but by now, the tiger had grown a certain level of respect for the human.

The both of them were companions now, and they worked as a unit.

Unfortunately for them, Daisy had not yet returned to their room, so they were unable to exact revenge on him.

With a soft, empty chuckle, Mukuro glanced up, towards the monitor. "You're a shogun, Hibari. I swear it." He smiled and leaned back against the pillar that he'd been coupled with for the past weeks, soon muttering, "But when are you going to make a move? Your samurai are tired and hungry, so void of the basic necessities that they feel like giving up..."

"Come for me..."

* * *

_Day Eighty._

_In a room with no love._

Fran sighed and picked up his knight, soon moving it to take out a rook. "Ha!" he laughed after the fact, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"What, do you think I'm just going to back off because you took out a silly little castle? I've still got my queen and bishops!" Bluebell replied with a crooked grin, soon glancing back at the chessboard in consideration. "Hmm. How do you like that knight of yours?"

Fran gave a deadpan look. "I think, just like Bel-senpai, if its not gonna treat me right, it oughta just be sacrificed for better things."

Bluebell giggled. "Wow, that was cold! Even for you, Fran."

Fran sighed and rested back in his seat. "I can't help it. The more you talk to me, the more I realize just how right you are. He rarely thinks about my feelings, he doesn't respect the few boundaries I have, and I know for a fact he shares information I'd rather keep private with Mammon. You know how annoying it is to have that little frog baby come up to me and tease me about something I considered to be completely private between senpai and I? It's just not cool..."

"Well, Fran, I have something to share...," Bluebell said, reaching out and softly stroking the illusionist's cheek. "We can set up a video feed in Belphegor's room, so you can see just what he's been up to. The truth is, we stuck him in a room with one of our subordinates, and they're totally hooking up. I was worried I'd hurt you before, but you seem pretty callous to it all now. You wanna see what Prince the Loser's up to, hun?"

"See what a wreck he is without me? The offer's tempting, but I pass," Fran snorted. "I'd really rather not deal with him at all."

"Have it your way," Bluebell answered with a shrug. "That's fine."

Fran sighed and stood, moving around the tale, before leaning down and pecking Bluebell's cheek. "Thank you."

She gave a faint smirk, soon whispering a 'no problem.' The two hugged briefly.

The illusionist could never have guessed the volume of the errors he was making.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

*glomps readers* Hello everyone~! Here's a nice, fat, on time upload for you all! :D You wouldn't guess it, but I actually had to edit this baby three times because of computer problems. D:

Liking the plot? Tell me~!

Review for BATTLES AND BROMANCE!


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